Inexplainable Notions
by Alvar Cunnings
Summary: Ludwig is haunted by regrets of his forgotten and all too clear past. His lone travels in France are interrupted by a reckless Italian. Will Feliciano be able to make him forget his past and see a beautiful future? Post WWII. GERITA. M smut and violence.
1. Chapter 1

**Prologue:**

Running. He could hear it close behind him now; the wet slaps of several chasing him in the rain. To them, he was fleeing of fear, but in actuality, he was winning. He knew what he was going to do to them should be far from ear shot and innocent eyes. Being a beast didn't mean he couldn't have a heart, right?

He turned a corner and slammed his back into the wall, watching them run by and back up when they realized what he had done. They ran towards him until he could back up no father into the alley, now was their time to escape.

"Leave now and you won't get hurt," his voice was stern and solid, there were six of them. He couldn't kill six men at once and ignore it. If they didn't turn back this would haunt him, give him more of those awful dreams that had him trembling like leaf late at night.

One sneered, baring his teeth and speaking in his thick French accent, "Oh, you want us to just leave? _Non." _The others laughed and one larger man came up to him, swinging some sort of metal bar, the dim street lights glinting off of it. The glint was almost a knowing glance, winking its affirmation of what the cornered man was going to have to do. The swing passed his eyes in slow motion, and he felt the last bit of his sanity leave as the beast took over.

He was a good man, calm and collected, only getting upset when orders weren't followed through. He kept quiet and to himself, that was how he liked it. But he could never manage to reel in one part of him, a part left from ages ago. Years of his life he couldn't remember.

Somewhere deep inside him, there was a monster. A monster that hated and spat venom, rearing its head when it was cornered. There was no controlling this _thing_, try as he might. Somehow he was lucky enough that it only showed itself when he could get away with it, as he could now, in self-defense.

The metal swung down.

_He is coming._

Eyes began to glaze over.

_He's so close._

The metal hit its target.

_He's here._

His eyes were filled to the brim with bloodlust, almost dripping with it. The metal bar groaned under his grip, bending at the hilt. The burly man dropped it in shock, his fear causing him to stand perfectly still, like prey.

The large hand reached out so quickly, like a snake's strike, to latch on to a thick neck. A vice grip unlike no other. The cold air was the only sensation on his body, what better to warm it with than blood. Suddenly, that was all he could see. Blood, it dripped down the walls of the alley, the ground, his very own mind. A racking cackle left his throat at the sound of screams, but he couldn't stop them. Even when the man was dead, drowning in a small sea of his own blood, they continued. Louder and louder until-

He woke up, sweating so badly the sheets beneath him were soaked. He sat up shakily, unable to do anything but just attempt to calm his breathing.

"_Someday, _he thought, fighting bitter tears, _"someday ill forget."_

**Ch.1 A Fresh Start**

With a large sigh and a long stretch, Ludwig Beilschmidt stood from his café table, which lay in the back of a shabby French restaurant, far from prying eyes. That was how he liked it, it could be lightly put that Ludwig wasn't a social person, and was glad his looks and demeanor supported that. He did not enjoy confrontations and dealing with others stupidity. Though, here in France, he received none too nice hospitality. Ludwig was, after all, German.

Even though ten years had passed since the liberation of the French from the German army, he still received nervous and even hateful glances from the locals here in Auvergne, France. It wasn't so bad at the border, where the French enjoyed German tourism and even local Germans, but here, in the center of the country, the people still bore scars and grudges. Though he had known it wouldn't be warm and fuzzy, he couldn't help but feel as if they saw him as one of those Gestapo leaders; highly unlikely, as he was only 25, far too young to have been in the war at all.

With another sigh, Ludwig walked up to the counter to pay for his coffee and meal. As he handed the money over, including a generous tip, he didn't miss the mumbling of 'damn Germans' under the stout old man's breath. Apparently he didn't expect him to know much French, but Ludwig chose to ignore it. He was far too tired to deal with the situations, as he had been on the road for many hours before third pit stop, and knew nothing good would come from it.

If he hadn't worn the iron cross over his chest, Ludwig was still certain German was written over his forehead. He was tall with blond, slicked back hair, a muscular build, bright blue eyes, and an angular sculpted face that remained stoic the majority of the time. Perhaps a neon sign would be more accurate.

Ludwig was glad to step out of the diner at last. The food had been alright, but the atmosphere was dank and dull, though that could be attributed to his presence. The walls were covered with peeling gray wallpaper with some sort of ugly and tacky floral design. The smell reminded him of mildew and rotting wood. Outside though, he took in a large breath of crisp cool air. It was mid-January, meaning the snows were just getting their thickest before melting in a couple of months. The trees surrounding the establishment and road were tall and hung thick with snow, clumps of it blanketing the ground.

Rounding a corner of the diner, Ludwig came to his motorcycle; a 1948 Model 125. He smirked slightly, allowing some emotion on his face as he gazed at the dull grey bike. This, as well as a small bag of clothes and money, was the only thing he took from his home to come here. He still wasn't entirely sure why he needed to leave Germany. It had been one of those split decisions, which one didn't think about before making it. It was not something he did often, preferring to plan things out. Though he loved his homeland with its pleasantly cold winters and ale halls, the German had no family to keep him company.

Ludwig hadn't known his parents, from what he had heard, they were killed in Italy by the '_resistenza'. _His father was an aspiring general and had brought his mother to the base so they could live together with an unborn Ludwig. It was a few weeks after his birth that they left him with a caretaker in France to vacation in Italy's bright and cool fields. Apparently, it was a normal occurrence to leave Gilbert, Ludwig's older brother, alone with sitters as well. He had gone missing awhile back, saying something about starting a motorcycle gang. His parents weren't parents for the fun of it.

However, on their plane to Italy, they had been mistaken for a rouge bomber, many of which still roamed. The Italian military acted quickly and brought the plane down, killing everyone, including Ludwig's parents, inside. A larger diplomatic argument was immediately formed, only to be put down by the German government. Tensions were just loosening between the two countries and many didn't want to see a battle with one of Germany's longest lasting allies. The largest problem was what to do with the two children.

Ludwig was watched and raised by the nanny, Mrs. Peat, always smelling like overly strong lavender, until he was eight, when he was sent to the same military academy as his brother. The academy was notorious for turning out ruthless soldiers, lieutenants, and generals and was the same as Ludwig's father had attended. This proved a problem for him when he first started, as he wasn't overly confrontational and preferred to stay quiet. It had been his fifth year putting up with taunts from the other cadets. They made jokes about his parents and his brother was often too busy doing much else than getting into trouble to help him.

Finally, he snapped. It had been one of those frequent cold nights and Ludwig was on his patrol duty, as usual, not uttering a word. He stood dutifully outside the dank quarters in his gray cadet suit, perfectly ironed with his soldiers straight and eyes forward. He always performed such duties as if he was being inspected, that had at least put him in favor with the commanders. As he walked down a dark alley between two cabins, he heard a rustling. As was his duty, he crept through the sharp and jagged dried limbs to investigate.

Lumbering through the brambles, he neared the small clearing towards the back of the far right cabin. It was used for personal combat training and practice. Suddenly, he had been grabbed from behind and dragged out into the clearing, where many other boys had gathered. With horror he noticed they all carried some sort of stick or blunt object. Struggling, they all laughed and yelled jeers at him. He heard none as he tried frantically to get away from two taller buys holding him. When the blows hit him, he remembered nothing but the feeling of being trapped, like a wild caged animal, he had sprung into action.

Ludwig didn't remember much of that night, or much of anything before it, but he did remember the way the commanding officer had patted him on his back. He did remember the looks of fear he got from new comers, and he _did _remember the way not one of those boys came near him again. Yet, for his ruthless reputation, he wasn't near ruthless at all. He could be easy to anger and stressed perfect conduct, but not overly violent.

In fact, the one reason he left the military at 22 was because of the corrupt and violent happenings that seemed to be ignored. Even when he had confronted his superiors, nothing had been done. They sent him away laughingly, and if there was one thing Ludwig wasn't, it was a bad man. He would never willingly let someone innocent get hurt. So he left, and now he was here. Here in this lonely, cold country.

Shaking his head out of its reminiscing, he mounted his bike and took off, preferring not to think on his past much. He decided to ride for a while before stopping to look from some place to stay. Ludwig kept sight of the setting sun as he rode for a few hours, enjoying the scenery and the road flying by him. One of the few times he felt elated and carefree was when he was on this bike, going fast and feeling the wind whip around his body. Everything blurred around him and he could relax as if only he existed. So distracted was he that he didn't even notice the clouds, dark and ominous, moving in towards him. When he finally did notice, it was when a loud crack of thunder shook the ground and his body. Jumping slightly, he began to slow and looked at the forming storm. It was large and covered most of the sun's light.

Grimacing, the German looked as far as he could see down both sides of the road. Even with the flat terrain, nothing was in sight. He tried to think of where he might shelter, the trees wouldn't do him much good, and the lack of a convenient cave in the mountain side was disappointing, no matter how improbable. Ludwig was just thinking of pulling over and sitting through it when he spotted a dark outline in the distance. Squinting, he sped up slightly, careful not to go too fast considering the rain that had just started to drizzle and made the rode slippery.

As he neared the outline, he could see it was an old barn. It was tall with small doors leading in, outlined by chipping paint and rotting wood. The tall grey structure stood alone a short distance from the road and appeared to be abandoned. 'Perfect', Ludwig thought, pulling over to the side of the road and running up his bike up the beaten path to the entrance. After little difficulty, he opened the door, pushed his bike inside before him, and re-shut it. After leaning his bike against the doors, he panted slightly, removed his jacket and shook out his hair before smoothing it back. The persistent droplets dripped down his neck and back, causing him to shiver slightly.

Looking around, he found the barn to be quite orderly and neat on the inside. It seemed as if someone had cleared out everything before leaving it. Empty pegs and stalls lined the walls and hay still covered the floor. A few bags of grain stood against a far wall. Inhaling, Ludwig caught a whiff of a soothing scent over the must of the rotting straw and wood. Finding it out of place, he slowly began to follow the scent until he came to a staircase, hidden just out of view from the front door by a wide roof support. The old stairs lead up to the loft, completely out of his view despite his height. Quietly, he began to descend up the stairs. They creaked slightly but were otherwise secure and held his weight.

Ludwig looked up at the rafters curiously, there didn't seem to be any webs or birds living here. It was almost like this place was completely untouched by anything or someone took great care in keeping it clean. Like something kept it quiet and peaceful…

Furrowing his brows, Ludwig stopped short and snorted a little at himself. What was he thinking about some old barn? Shaking his head he continued up until he reached the top. He was surprised to find that it was relatively clean and had a homey feel as if someone lived there. In the far corner lay a cot, well worn, and a small shelf of trinkets and books. A small stove set on the opposite side of the loft and what looked to be men's clothes hung from a horizontal support beam. The rest was barren all for a large crate that read something in a language he didn't know and looked sort of like a produce box.

His curiosity peaked, Ludwig walked softly to the shelf to take a closer look at the objects that lie on the low hanging shelf. Bending slightly, he saw a number of different colored flowers, rocks, sprigs of plant and odd shaped twigs. His eye was drawn to a smooth rock with a worn dip in its middle. It just barely fit in the palm of his hand and the dim light showed off its dull reddish hue. He lightly ran his thumb over the smooth stone and looked over the book titles. He didn't recognize any of them but one. It was a small book of poetry that he had read himself not long ago. It was in English and called "_In a_ _Field Far Away_". Cocking his head, he thought, '_what kind of person lives in a place like this?' _

Just as he was straightening up, the blond heard a quick rustling sound behind him. Whirling around quickly, he scanned the area. Seeing nothing on the loft or below and being sure he wasn't hearing things, Ludwig furrowed his brows and called out evenly, "Hello?"

"What? No! No one is here! No one at all!" a shrill voice suddenly broke the silence and startled the German. Widening his eyes and jumping a bit, Ludwig looked in the direction he had heard the sound. There stood the crate with its unreadable writing. Walking towards the crate with caution, the man made his way to the medium sized box.

"H-hello?" he questioned, softly knocking. There was a quick shuffle as the person inside seemed to jump from surprise or fear.

"Please! You don't want to hurt a box of produce! Don't come any closer!" this time when the voice called out, Ludwig could make out the sound of fear as well as a hint of an accent, something quick sounding.

And was the voice trying to talk as if it were the box?

Face set with determination, the tall man grasped the top edges of the crate with his large hands and swiftly tugged off the lid. Inside, curled up and slightly trembling, was a small man with chestnut hair and a slim build. Slowly, breathing hard, Ludwig set the top of the crate down and worked to remove the dumbfounded expression from his face.

"U-um, excuse m-", He began, stuttering slightly and trying to calm himself down, but was interrupted by the red-heads shrill shrieks.

"H-hello, Mr. Stranger! My name is Feliciano Vargas and I'm just a poor boy without money and you can see there is nothing here so you can take what want just don't hurt me~!" the man, now clearly Italian, if his clear accent and speedy talk said anything, was huffing for breath and teary eyed. The wild red hair ruffled with one particular curl sticking out father than the rest. Ludwig found that he had taken a few steps back from the force of the outburst and hastily straightened himself and cleared his throat.

"I-I'm sorry for intruding, but it was raining outside and I didn't think anyone lived here. I just wanted to get out of the rain, excuse me," Ludwig hid his face, trying to hide his usual stern expression from the scared male. He sighed as he turned to leave, feeling more disheartened than usual when he scared someone off.

"W-wait!" Ludwig turned to see the crazy Italian, now calmer, attempt to exit the box by standing with all his weight on the box. "Eh?" Feliciano widened his eyes as he began to fall, just before snapping them closed to brace for impact. In an instant, Ludwig moved to catch him, letting out a relieved breath as he straightened up.

"Pay attention! You could hav-," Ludwig began to reprimand the clumsy red-head, but was interrupted by the other's large brown eyes. They're eyes locked and Ludwig's breath caught. The hazel pools reminded him of thick woods on the seldom warm nights in his home. Feliciano's face was almost serene, with just a slight thankful simile, hair slightly tasseled. Ludwig could feel his heart have a strange reaction. Suddenly it felt heavy in his chest, but not in a depressed way. He found the weight in his arms almost enjoyable, not altogether minding the position. "_What…is this?_" Ludwig thought, releasing a shuddering breath. The scent from before, which he now recognized as sweet bark and the cool breeze, was strongly emanating from the Italian. This made Ludwig's muddled thoughts even worse.

"Mr. German?" Feliciano asked, putting his face too close to Ludwig's face. So close he could have…

"Y-yes?"

"You can put me down now!" he laughed and smiled brilliantly up at said German.

"Oh, yes. Excuse me." Distance. That was what Ludwig needed. As long as he could get way from this man, put some space between them, he would fee, more like himself. It wasn't like him to get so flustered, but he also wasn't used to such close proximities with others either.

"So why are you here?" Feliciano asked, rummaging around in the crate he had not long ago fallen out of.

"Ah, well I was travelling through and didn't have a place to stay, I hope you're not upset about me barging in without permission…I'm Ludwig by the way," the German murmured, he really wasn't himself today. Perhaps he had a cold? It was likely as he had been out in the rain and his wet clothes still clung to his body.

As if on cue, Feliciano moved to stand in front of him, his height only bring him to just under the taller's chin. With nimble fingers he began to undo the buttons of Ludwig's shirt. Ludwig was so taken aback that the only reaction he could muster was a small grunt in the back of his throat.

"Haha, you look funny Luddy, are you cold?" concern come across his face before Ludwig moved away, Feliciano only two buttons away from removing his shirt. Clearing his throat, Ludwig managed to shake his head and finished removing his shirt. Feliciano looked on confused for a moment before smiling blissfully.

"Oh! I got you a towel Luddy, and some trousers. They might be a little small but they should fit. You're so much bigger than me!" Feliciano exclaimed, handing a silent Ludwig the pants and towel; he took both articles graciously.

"That's how I knew you were a German. That and because your blond and you have blue eyes, really blue ones. I thought you were scary but then you helped me so you must be goo-" Ludwig turned and looked at Feliciano suddenly, cutting him off.

"How can you be so sure of something like that? I'm a stranger to you, you don't know anything about me and you just trust me?" With Ludwig's experience, he had never been able to trust people, no matter how long he knew them. Yet, here was this perfect stranger who treated him so kindly and talked to him as a friend, when he had broken into his home. Why was he living in a dangerous place like this anyway? Someone who lived out here in the open with no houses in sight should be more cautious, not reckless like this noisy Italian.

"Oh…well you didn't let me fall and apologized a lot. Plus your eyes are so clear, like honesty, so I feel like I can trust you." Feliciano looked hard at Ludwig, taking on a serious tone for the first time. "_What happened that made him so uneasy?" _he thought, walking up to Ludwig, never letting his eyes move from his. This feeling, how was it that it moved him? True, he really should be more careful with strangers, but Feliciano had a simple heart, one that allowed him to easily judge character. That and he couldn't shake the odd feeling that he knew him already.

"How can you be so sure…?" The blondes faced showed pain, and Ludwig felt as if all of the sudden, the gravity of his situation was coming down on him. The fights, his bad decisions, and now his leaving Germany. He was usually so good at keeping these things in. Seldom did he have a breakdown, but when he did they were short and far from other's eyes.

Feliciano walked forward and place his hand on the side of Ludwig's face, causing the two to make eye contact. For a long moment, he just looked into large clear pools of blue, deep in concentration. The warmth from the younger's hand slowly sank into his skin, his heart racing once more.

"Luddy?" he asked, face set with determination.

"Yes?" the look confused Ludwig and his brow furrowed.

"From today on out, you're going to be my best friend and I'm going to learn all about you." Ludwig's heart stopped a moment and his stomach felt heavy with disbelief. He stared back blankly at the Italian, who was all smiles and carefree joy again. "_Mein gott, what have I gotten myself into?"_

_AUTHOR'S NOTE:_

_The setting for this is ten years after WWII. I know it says it, but just wanted it to be a reminder. I'm not positive that the French were all that hostile after so long, but I'm using it to fit my story. This story was inspired by Auf Wiedersehen, Sweetheart, an amazing story during the war. GO READ THAT AND TELL WHO SENT YOU. Anyways~, i love reviews, please give me your opinions and lengthy fan spouts! I actually Google mapped the city Ludwig is in and followed along one of the rods he is riding his HOT cycle on. No, there isn't a barn, at least not one that i saw. Thank you for reading, you beautiful thing you~!_


	2. Chapter 2

Wait! This story is rated M. Yes, this means mature. Not, i think i can read adult things because i'm old enough. No, mature as in, i will respect this story and act like an adult. I only say this (honestly not to be rude, i LOVE people to read my stories) because of the people who are deleting stories because they don't like them. It's one thing to tell someone to fix something, but it's another to have a WHOLE FREAKING GROUP dedicated to being jerks. I am not the best writer, but i have a right to post here. I include the appropriate rating, i warn you. If you feel you can't handle it, step off brother. Any-who, please enjoy. KISSING IN THIS CHAPTER OH GOSH. sdjfabsk

* * *

"W-what?" Feliciano dropped a few apples out of his shirt from the sheer shock of what his muscular friend had offered.

"Hey! Be careful with those, they weren't easy to get." Ludwig huffed, already regretting his decision as the lone thought, "_I'm an idiot", _rang through his head. To be truthful, he hadn't thought this through at all. Somehow though, when he heard Feliciano talk about how much he wanted to find his brother, and how he had traveled all the way from Italy, alone, to look for him, his heart felt heavy for him; and that sad, lost look that briefly crossed the normally so peppy boy's face had it aching in his chest. "_I need to fix it," _was all he could think.

That was why, on a whim, he agreed, no, _offered_, to accompany this practical stranger all throughout the country of France to search for his Lovino. All he knew of the boy was that he was 19, technically a man, though Ludwig was hesitant to call him one from his behavior. He could not possibly be more perfect in embodying the Italian lifestyle. Though he claimed to not have much money, Feliciano almost always found a way to get them pasta. He was clumsy, spacey in the head, and often got himself into trouble with the locals on their excursions into town.

Ludwig couldn't count the times he had to apologize in his too hard French for something his mindless companion had done, yet he had known him hardly two weeks! Not to mention the unsightly habit of the red-head to sleep naked, it had given the German quite a shock the first day when he awoke to find a completely exposed Italian man clinging to him in his sleep. However, when he wasn't scolding Feliciano like his mother might have, there were all too noticeable good things about him.

Feliciano was gentle and was constantly finding ways to try to force a smile on the stuffy German's grim face, and often succeeded. At first, Ludwig was confused at the small piles of flowers, rocks, and twigs that appeared on his bed every night. They seemed like useless junk to him. Perplexed by this, he decided to follow the Italian one day. He watched from the shadows as Feliciano hummed a joyful tune and began to look, he would pick several objects up, study them, and shake his head as if it weren't good enough. Finally he would find something he deemed worthy, saying something like, "I hope Luddy likes this," and smiling a gentle smile.

Ludwig had felt unusual warmth spread through his body and emanating from his heart, no one had ever gone to such extremes for him before, not even for something as simple as this. This, he assumed, had been the point where he felt more open to Feliciano. Over the next week he had talked to him about his past a bit more. Feliciano had even cried and hugged him when he heard about his parents and how Ludwig had lost his memories after the fight at military school. He cried with such sorrow as if it were himself the things had happened to. If he thought about it, it should have been expected of him to have offered to help the red-head.

Said red-head, at the moment, was now hanging off of the tall German, spouting thank yous and crying happy tears. Feliciano didn't care about the fallen apples that he had worked so hard with Ludwig to pick, he was too happy. Not only did he have someone to travel with, but it was Ludwig; Ludwig, the tall, handsome man that had appeared out of nowhere to save him. Feliciano blushed after a moment, relinquishing his hold on the taller man and smiling, his deep chestnut eyes meeting Ludwig's ice blue ones.

"_Those eyes, _he thought, "_I think I'm drowning in them."_

Feliciano had noticed this odd attraction for Ludwig some days after he had met him, he learned fast that he was a serious man, not used to letting loose and having fun. When Feliciano first felt those happy butterflies in his stomach, he put it off as joy to having a friend. That changed, however, when he took Ludwig down to the creek he used for bathing. The first view he had of Ludwig's full body had amazed him and filled him with unfamiliar feeling that confused him. Every inch of the thick muscle seemed as if it were sculpted after a Greek god. The water ran over his pale skin and mussed his normally kempt hair. It took all of Feliciano's will power to look away before the German noticed his indecent gawking.

Later that night he had stayed awake with that image burned in his brain, trying to sort through the conflicting feeling s in his body. He was reluctant to admit he was attracted to Ludwig; he was a man, wasn't he? It just didn't seem normal to him. Though, when he had thought about how kind the man was in the weeks following, he had little trouble admitting to himself that he was indeed physically attracted to him, even the stirrings of love were present in his innocent heart.

After all, Ludwig was nice, smart, and funny when he was flustered. He was a big help with getting food and getting the Italian out of messes. It didn't seem so unusual after he thought about it. His brother, Lovino, had fallen in love with a man too; the Spaniard, Antonio, even though Lovino refused to admit it out loud, he loved him. So this _was_ normal, no one picked who they loved, and Feliciano couldn't make himself feel guilty or ashamed of the feelings.

That didn't stop him from hiding them, though. He couldn't count the times he had wanted to feel those strong, powerful arms around him or touch those lips with his own. They looked so warm and soft, he often lost himself in fantasies of his own molding together with Ludwig's. Luckily, he was careful he didn't actually stare at him when he had these fantasies. Ludwig returning his feelings didn't cross his mind as an option, and the last thing he wanted was to scare him off and lose him. "_So,_" Feliciano decided, "_it will be a secret." _

The walk home was filled with Feliciano bouncing around, smiling, singing, and babbling about how he and the German were going to have adventures and so much fun traveling together. Every few moments, he would look back at the German, just for the sake of doing so. The setting sun would create shadows that gently filled the crevices of his the wide collar bones and muscles that were visible through his snug shirt. The sun made his fine, blond hair sparkle almost, his eyes standing out even more as cool blue pools.

Feliciano hadn't realized he had stopped walking to gawk, causing Ludwig to bump lightly into him.

"Hey! Watc-" Ludwig paused at the sudden embarrassed look on the shorter male's face. Feliciano muttered a quiet apology and moved to turn, when the blond caught him by the arm. Feliciano's heart jumped into his throat, it wasn't often that he touched him of his own accord.

"Is something wrong? You've been acting stranger than usual. You're more-" Ludwig paused to think, searching the younger's face, "quiet. It worries me."

The red-head bit his lip and looked up at him, he looked uncertain, and he was. Every part of him wanted to tell Ludwig how he felt, but the thought of rejection stopped him again. It hung dark and menacing, like a black widow spider, over him. Threatening to bite. _It wasn't normal for men to like each_ _other_, he had to remind himself. Wouldn't Ludwig like women?

Sighing, Feliciano forced a smile and tried to remove the German's grip. "I'm fine, just a bit tired," he lied. He was surprised when the grip tightened rather than loosened.

"I don't believe you." Ludwig stated, placing his bundle down to hold the other securely in place. He hadn't known Feliciano long, but he knew when he was being lied to. "Tell me, please." For some reason, Ludwig seemed very determined to fix whatever was wrong and Feliciano was momentarily stunned. The thought that he cared about him so much made him smile softly before he could answer.

"Well i-," Thunder cracked high above their heads, cutting off his words. _Thank you God,_ Feliciano quietly thought.

"Come on Luddy! We're going to get wet if we stay here!" He even went as far as to gather the heavy bundle and carry it himself, forcing Ludwig to run to catch up with him. The overcast sky looked dangerous, only accentuated by the sudden lightning and cold, heavy rain that began to pour, turning the quiet day into a storm in an instant. Feliciano ran harder, wanting to get back to the barn before it got any worse.

Swiftly, however, He was grabbed by Ludwig who crammed the both of them into a small overhang caused by a few rock slates jutting out of the mountainside, forming a small cave. The two men panted lightly over the sound of the falling rain. Inside, the cave was shadowed and moist, but not altogether unpleasant.

"How did you see this, Luddy? It was raining so hard!" Feliciano exclaimed, peering out to confirm the rain was pouring just as hard.

"I just happened to see it," he murmured, sitting on the wet ground and shaking the water out of his hair. Even though they had been interrupted, Ludwig was not going to easily let how Feliciano was acting go, he needed to figure out the problem. Truth be told, he did have a sweet spot for him, always letting him get away with things and letting him snuggle with him after dinner. Though, there were strange feelings that coursed through him whenever the Italian was too close. For now it seemed better to ignore them, they didn't pose much of a threat to him at the moment. It was probably just the foreign feeling of having a kind friend, or least, he told himself that. Anything else would be too…strange.

Sighing, Feliciano moved to sit next to Germany, gently leaning his head on his shoulder. He truly did cherish such simple contact. Feliciano could almost just imagine being enveloped in the warm heat that Ludwig's body provided. The simple connection from his cheek to the German's shoulder sent sparks through him like a livewire. An indescribable ache developed in his gut and Feliciano could hardly keep his voice down. It felt like his chest would explode and he curled his toes from the pressure. He wasn't sure his small body could take such a feeling or contain such a growing thing as his love for the other man.

Ludwig moved suddenly, causing the Italian to be jolted from his thoughts, the weight in his chest lessening slightly.

"Now, you are going to finish what you were saying," Ludwig commanded. He crossed his arms and waited, knowing Feliciano would comply.

Chewing his lip, the younger looked down and wrung his hands. He wasn't sure he had the confidence to say something that embarrassing. He had never made a love confession, so the little Italian wasn't sure how to go about it.

Ludwig raised his brow and placed a gentle hand on the smaller man's shoulder. His face showed true discomfort and Feliciano appeared to be fighting a battle with himself.

"Feliciano?" He asked, leaning down to catch his eye. Feliciano started and widened his eyes, the closeness of the German to him giving his heart a start.

"You…you don't have to tell me, just," Ludwig fumbled, not used to giving assuring words or comforting anyone, "just tell me when you can, ok?"

Feliciano felt weight leave his shoulders and sighed, his smile returning. He leaned forward, pressing his face into Ludwig's chest and inhaling, savoring the scent of him.

"Thank you," he mumbled, wrapping his arms around the firm chest in front of him. Ludwig had the feeling he was missing something but ignored it, right now was more important. He sighed and cracked a small smile, wrapping his own arms around the red-head.

"_This man, _he thought, leaning back to get comfortable, "_is really going to drive me crazy."_

Ludwig smirked as he noticed that Feliciano had fallen into a dead sleep, snoring softly and mumbling. Hesitantly, the he reached out his hand to gently stroke the fine, russet locks on his chest. Feliciano really did have soft hair, in fact, everything about this peppy man seemed soft and warm, especially those eyes. Ludwig had an odd suspicion that Feliciano could see through him when he caught him looking at him.

Soon, the storm's constant rain and Feliciano's breathing created a sort of lullaby, making him feel drowsy. It wasn't long before he fell asleep, the night bathing them in moonlight as the storm settled to a light drizzle, the two lay quietly and undisturbed throughout the night.

Feliciano woke up to the sound of panting and mumbling, the surface he laid against moving frantically up and down. Grumbling, he looked out of the small enclosure to see the shades of purple of a rising sun, it was early morning, but how did he get outside… Remembering he fell asleep on Ludwig, he quickly moved up to look at the man. Ludwig's face was covered in sweat, as was the rest of his body, and his brow was deeply furrowed. His broad chest moved up and down frantically and he mumbled angrily, like he was fighting with someone. He was having a nightmare, and a horrible one at that.

Carefully, Feliciano put his hand on the man's forehead. He had never seen Ludwig like this, in so much distress. It scared him but he knew he needed to be calm, he had learned that you have to be gentle when waking people from nightmares. He had been rough with Lovino once and had been punched right in the face. Though he forgave him, it had still been very painful. He also knew the German had been in the military, and was extremely muscular. No doubt a punch from him would be much worse.

Taking a deep breath, Feliciano gently moved his hand to the side of Ludwig's face, using the other to make gentle circle on his shoulder.

"Luddy, come on now," he coaxed, speaking softly, "it's time to get up now." Feliciano watched as Ludwig's eyelids twitched, encouraging him to try harder. After a few more gentle words, the German gasped and tried to sit up, only to be forced down by Feliciano. He didn't need to get up quite yet, Ludwig seemed a little feverish.

"Fe-feliciano?" he stuttered, eyes wide in an unknown fright. The Italian didn't know what he had been dreaming about, and he wasn't sure he wanted to. It surprised him, however, when Ludwig began to shake and he tried to sit up again. This time he let him, moving to hold Ludwig's head against his chest. Worry filled his eyes and he gently rocked the larger man as the trembling got worse.

"Hush now, it was just a dream, alright?" he cooed, "you're here with me, Luddy." It seemed odd that he would be offering Ludwig strength, but he didn't mind. Feliciano was much too worried about the man to give it much thought. Ludwig surprised him again by grabbing ahold of the smaller man and burying his head down deeper against his chest.

Normally Ludwig would hate to show this kind of weakness, but he couldn't handle this now. This dream had been different. "_So much blood…," _he shuddered at the thought. This was also the first time he had had someone to comfort him. The warmth was unfamiliar but he accepted it gladly. Feliciano began to sing a soft song, something in Italian, and stroked his hair. Though he didn't know the language, he felt he understood what they meant. _Don't worry, I'm here for you. _

Feliciano's soft voice was probably the most peaceful and beautiful thing he had ever heard. It wasn't long before tears he hadn't known he was shedding dried up and only his hands were shaking. Hesitantly, he looked up at the Italian, feeling embarrassed at the way he acted. He was greeted with a warm smile and gentle eyes.

"Are you feeling okay now?" Feliciano asked, brushing some stray golden locks out of Ludwig's face, causing an unfamiliar feeling to sweep through him. Just looking at this kind man was giving Ludwig a longing he was nervous to recognize. Feliciano's lips were close, and they looked so soft and warm. Could those lips make everything alright, make him forget his past sins? Would they tell him they loved him and never wanted to leave, that it wasn't his fault? His heart beat fast as he leaned forward, eyelids closing as he prepared for the worst.

Surprisingly, he felt the soft petals of Feliciano's lips meet him halfway, pressing gently against his own. He pressed back, trying his best to cope with the feelings rushing through him. His body heated uncomfortably, but he felt he needed to get closer to Feliciano. Slowly, he sat upwards and pulled the smaller male towards, never breaking contact with their lips. Experimentally, he moved his lips over the Italians and pushed his tongue out to lightly taste him as he pushed inside the other's mouth.

Feliciano tasted like apples and basil and everything calm and gentle. He tasted like a lazy summer day where he had all the time to relax in a warm embrace. He tasted like everything Ludwig never knew he wanted bit decided he couldn't live without. He felt like he could understand those looks couples gave each other that were so in love. They thought about these feelings, this foreign feeling that Ludwig wanted to drink for the lips in front of him.

All too soon, they parted for air, both breathing hard and clinging to the other. Feliciano was sure his heart was loud enough for the other to hear, as wildly as it beat. Hiccupping, he wiped his eyes and buried his face in Ludwig's chest. Gentle sobs wracked his body and the German panicked. Had he forced Feliciano into something?

"Feliciano?" it came out ad a whisper, "What's wrong?" After a few moments, the Italian lifted his head and laughed a bright smile on his face.

"I'm sorry Luddy, I was just so happy I couldn't hold it in," he laughed and pressed a quick peck to Ludwig's lips before burying his head into his neck. This was too surreal, the way it has just happened. The kiss and the feelings that coursed through him were starting to overwhelm hi m again. He felt tired, a yawn making him realize it.

Taking notice of this, Ludwig laid back, taking _his _littleItalian down with him. The weight was comfortable and he gently rubbed the other's back, feeling him relax completely.

"Go back to sleep, we'll head back in the morning." The smile seeped into his voice, making Feliciano grin.

"One more kiss?" he turned his head and pouted up at the German, who in turned huffed and bent down to press their lips together quickly.

"There, now sleep," he mumbled, though his bright blush revealed his true feelings. They both soon dozed off, tired from their day and the emotional strain.

"Feliciano! Come on, we need to head out!" Ludwig called from outside the barn. It was early morning and two days after the two's unspoken love confession. After that they had decided to leave on their journey to look for the Italian's older brother. At the moment, Feliciano was dragging himself sleepily out the barn door, closing it and taking one last look at his temporary home.

Turning, he took in the sight of his new lover, who looked quite stunning. He wore his snug riding jacket, causing his chest to even broader, and black chaps. His hair was slicked back and he straddled the large bike. To put it shortly, it all looked mouthwatering to the Italian, his tired eyes not noticing Ludwig's amused smirk at catching him staring.

"I hope you're not just going to look," he purred, beckoning Feliciano by crooking his finger. His eyes were lowered and his grin made him look like wolf, a hungry one at that. The Italian blushed, still not used to this new side of Ludwig. Now that they had recognized their feelings, the German had showed him many different sides of himself that he had been guarding before. There was a new gentle side, where Ludwig would just look at him when he thought he wasn't looking. His blue eyes would be filled with a light of happiness, changing his usually stern appearance into an almost angelic countenance, causing a feeling of calm to sweep his body.

Then there was this lustful side, the side of the man that made simple kisses sear his lips and clouded his head with hot ash. Foreign feelings would awaken in Feliciano's body, ones that left him squirming in a both pleasant and unpleasant way. He felt like prey terrified of being eaten but wanting to all at the same time.

Hesitantly, he moved over to the larger man, giving him a sheepish and somewhat shy smile as he took hold of his outstretched hand. Ludwig smiled and pulled Feliciano to him, placing soft kisses on his neck and trailing up to his ear. Feliciano gasped and shuddered, pressing closer to the hot lips, loving the feeling. He didn't he would ever tire of Ludwig's kisses and touches, even if it had only been a couple of days since he had them.

The red-head brought his hands up to the German's shoulder's to feel the strength in the powerful muscles that lay there. Normally he might not be attracted to such a thing, but Ludwig made him change his mind about how people could love. It really didn't matter much about the person's body, though Feliciano wasn't complaining about Ludwig's in the least. In his string arms he felt safe, like Ludwig was invincible.

Chuckling, Ludwig pressed a kiss to Feliciano's soft lips, the leaned away. "Come on, we need to get moving," he said, Patting the seat behind him and handing the Italian his helmet.

"Why so early," Feliciano whined, slipping on the helmet and straddling the back. When he got comfortable, he let his body mold to the firm one in front of him.

"Because, if we don't leave early, it will be too dark to find somewhere to sleep later." He mumbled, double checking the side bags and revving the engine to life. The pleasant purr vibrated his body and he smiled, it was nice to get back on his bike after so long.

"Lean with the turn and stay straight the rest of time, alright?" he called over the sound. Feliciano nodded against his back, they had already practiced a few time before, yesterday. With one last look over, Ludwig kicked up the stand and sped off, trying not to go too fast despite his want for the whipping wind. Behind him, Feliciano smiled and snuggled closer to the German's back and watched the scenery fly by as they drove onto the highway. Not only did this trip mean finding his brother, but he also got to spend time with his new lover.

It might have been a little selfish, but Feliciano hope that Lovino was somewhere where it would take them weeks to find him. He wanted all the time he could get with the man, not daring to think of what might happen after they found Lovino. He couldn't imagine having to be without him.

They drove on clear through the day, only making stops for the restroom, and one, Feliciano insisted, for lunch at a diner. The whole time they received strange looks, only Ludwig seemed to notice, though. Feliciano hadn't helped it either, especially when he reached all the way over the table to lick a bit of pancake syrup from Ludwig's face. His face had lit up red like fire and he had coughed, murmuring a 'thank you'. Smiling, Feliciano looked at the German's face, knowing that this trip was going to be the best of his life.

* * *

WHEW! I'm soooooo sorry guys, i'm already one of those author's who doesn't update, but this is longer! hopefully that will make up for it. This chapter and puts an end to time lapses, so we won't be jumping around anymore. I don't own these character's, Hetalia, France, motorcycles, or diner's. And please take a look at this if you are hoping to keep good stories in tact. (i didn't write it, it was sent to me)

Greetings to the fine folk that moderate our site.  
I, along with many, have been writing and posting on your fine site for years now, some of the better examples of up and coming writers out there are are now suddenly finding some of the stories we've come to love at risk of being removed without the chance to even rectify our errors.  
For some, that means the permanent loss of a story. While I don't have anything that (I believe) violates your terms of use, there are those out there that are never able to recover a story in its original form, this is something I find to be almost worthy of a legal action, as while we cannot claim ownership of a character, the stories are OURS and simply destroying them is something that is inexcusable.  
It's quite easy to simply add an MA rating, additional filters or even a simple requirement for a free membership to read the stories presented here, and would cut down on hateful anonymous reviews and posts at the same time, so I have to question as to why such a thing, in all this time, simply wasn't added.  
If you're worried about falsification of a registration then have an appropriate disclaimer and then there can be no dispute, you took your steps and the PARENTS didn't monitor their children, if that is even your concern. If it is more of a personal view or desire then please at least let people know and give them a chance to remove a story that you and yours find offensive, most people on the site are actually rather cordial when it comes to such requests.  
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For those that may agree with this, please feel free to sign on and send this to the support server, maybe we can get some movement on this.

Psudocode_Samurai

Rocketman1728

MudkipxSebby


	3. Chapter 3

**Hey guys! i know you all hate me, guess what? I LOVE YOU. i decided to check my email for no reason really and found that a lot of people added me to their favorite author's list, story list, and even alert list. I cried, i really did. If you read this and did that, i want you to know i really appreciate it, and to those who even just read my stories. As always reviews are DEMANDED (please) and whatever criticisms will be taken whole-heartily! **

watch?v=kS9SUmAyKWM

**THAT is the song you'll want to listen to. But only when you get there, so i hope you enjoy.**

"Feliciano, hey." Ludwig nudged the sleeping man behind him with his back, the Italian's arms only squeezing his torso tighter. When Ludwig had realized that Feliciano had been sleeping the majority of the ride, he had nearly had a heart attack. It would have been too easy for the man to fall off, and though there hadn't been much traffic to worry about, the road rash and possible injuries would have still been horrible. However, Ludwig also remembered that the grip the man had on him never lessened. Leave it to Feliciano to be able to multitask while sleeping.

Ludwig sighed at how difficult he was being and looked around for a moment. The Inn was right off the side of the road; a few tall trees stood in behind it and the opposite side of the road was completely dark. If it hadn't been for the bright bar lights he would have never seen this place. There wasn't even any paved drive in or gravel. Done looking, he returned his attention to the lightly snoring Italian.

Nudging him a little more, Feliciano finally woke up and looked around with bleary eyes. His attention was caught by the loud sounds of men yelling and music, coming from a brightly lit bar attached to an Inn. The thought of a French bar made him giggle, catching Ludwig's attention.

"What's funny?" he asked, getting up with a grunt and stretching. They had ridden all day, only stopping a few times, and it was starting to wear on the German.

"Hmm, nothing. Where are we, anyway?" Feliciano chirped, already feeling more awake, and mimicking Ludwig's actions before he leaned against him. Ludwig smiled shyly down at him, hesitantly bringing his arms around Feliciano. It was still hard to get used to this constant affection, though he wasn't complaining. Something about the way Feliciano's eyes were so clear and how he held himself so freely put him at ease. That is, when he wasn't getting into trouble.

"It's just a small inn; we can stay here tonight and head off to town tomorrow." Ludwig began to walk to the front of the establishment, Feliciano clinging to him for warmth. They were just approaching the door when Feliciano stopped them.

"What is it?" he asked, double checking the kickstand on his bike before letting go of it; he would need to take it inside the room with them. It was nice looking, even if it was older, and he didn't want it to get stolen.

"Could we sit in the bar for a little bit? It looks fun and there's even music!" Feliciano exclaimed excitedly, waving his arms towards the building.

"Well…," Ludwig murmured, not sure. He had a bad feeling about leaving the skinny man alone with god-knows how many burly and possibly drunk men. As he hesitated, Feliciano came up to him and hugged him tightly, pressing kisses at his jaw and neck.

"Pleeeease?" he pleaded, showing off his wide eyes before pressing another kiss to his jaw. The German blushed at the kisses and heat from their bodies being so close. Sighing, he finally nodded and Feliciano jumped up and down excitedly before bringing Ludwig's head down for a slow kiss. After a moment, Ludwig allowed himself to fall into the kiss, savoring the sweet tastes of the Italian. Very slowly, Ludwig pressed his tongue to Feliciano's bottom lip.

Feliciano gasped slightly, clenching onto the taller man harder before hesitantly opening his mouth for Ludwig. He knew how tongue kissing worked, but he didn't have any kind of experience with it, so he left it to Ludwig. When he opened his mouth, Ludwig slowly moved his warm muscle in. The inside of Feliciano's mouth was warm and somehow soft. He began to gently explore the moist cavern, coaxing the smaller man to do the same.

Slowly, Feliciano probed at the other's invading tongue. It was moist and warm and he felt himself begin to tingle all over, cheeks hot and breath ragged. He moaned lightly and blushed harder at the sound, having never made one like it before. All the while his heart swelled, this feeling of being whole when he was so close to Ludwig new and a little frightening. His desire for him also put him over the edge. He wanted the taller male so badly that it left a clenching feeling in his chest.

Ludwig growled as he molded their bodies more together, he wanted every inch of him to be touching the other man. As he deepened the kiss, that's when he felt it.

His head began to swim and tingle, and every muscle tightened. Like an animal, he could feel the urge to roughly take what he wanted. "_Who could stop you? He wants it, doesn't he?"_ The beast's thoughts plagued him and made his arms clench tighter around Feliciano, who was too lost in the kiss to notice how rigid the other's body had become. Ludwig slid his tongue more roughly against the other's, tension building. He could see Feliciano under him, begging, calling, and screaming with pleasure and pa-

"Mm, Luddy," Feliciano moaned lightly, and the sweet voice created a strange reaction. All at once the thoughts left him and he slowly recoiled from the other, the adrenaline causing him to feel as if he needed to run somewhere, anywhere.

"I-I need to get the room," he breathed out heavily, arms slightly shaky as he slid them down to rest at Feliciano's side. "Can you get me a seat inside?"

"Y-yeah," Feliciano nodded his head, hair mussed and cheeks red. His still felt dizzy from the intense feelings, and he couldn't put his finger on it, but something looked different about Ludwig. He suddenly seemed bigger and an unfamiliar glint in his eyes made the younger's heart beat in a strange way. Deciding to let it go, he began to walk to the hazy bar.

"Damn!" Ludwig cursed, making a small dent on the hotel room door. He couldn't have gotten away fast enough from Feliciano, he had practically run. The woman at the counter had given him a strange look as well when she noticed his ragged breath and shaky hands. When he had gotten to the room, he found a place to put his motorcycle against the wall, then abruptly sat and thought.

Of all the things he had to have a problem with in this spontaneous and strange relationship, the worst had to be that thing. No matter how he looked at it, it was dangerous. What didn't make sense to Ludwig though was that this was the first time it had come up during such an activity. The German wasn't in any way a ladies man; he was far too awkward, but he had a few one night lovers in the days he drowned his sorrows in beer. Nothing of the sort happened then, of course, he didn't feel the things he felt with Feliciano with them.

Ludwig didn't feel like himself at all in those few intimate moments with the red-head. Affection, especially Feliciano's kind, was so embarrassing to him. He was sure he looked silly; a tall muscular and stern looking German man blushing like a school-girl and fumbling over his words. He just couldn't help it. Ludwig had such strong feelings for this _man, _and strangely, he easily overlooked it. Perhaps it was the pure bliss he felt in holding the other, how the giggles that came from that sweet mouth at his embarrassing actions made his heart hurt. He would so easily become overwhelmed with so many unfamiliar things.

He could also lose it all.

There was no way that he could ever allow anything to hurt Feliciano, and that included himself. Sighing, he rose from his seat on the double bed and locked the room behind him, walking down the short flight of stairs to make his way to the bar. Just as he was walking in and his eyes adjusted to the hazy air and thick smell of smoke, he noticed a string of entranced looking men surrounding the bar. Interested, Ludwig moved to stand behind one of the shorter French-men, and gaped.

There, on a tall barstool looking flushed and as talkative as ever was Feliciano. Though this would have seemed normal, the small male had somehow lost Ludwig's jacket and his outer shirt, leaving his thin white button open enough for the majority of olive-skinned chest to show. The most astonishing part, however, was the quantity of empty shot glasses surrounding him; about 10 from he could see. Yet, Feliciano seemed to be completely fine, other than a little tipsy. The

When he saw Ludwig, his behavior immediately changed as he run flying toward him, pushing through the other men at a blurred speed until he was clinging to the other, arms securely around his middle.

"Oh, Luddy! I won some money from a drinking game and now all of our drinks are free! And all these men got so surprised when I won you should have seen their faces!" he chattered at lightning speed, not caring that he was in front of an entire crowd of people and acting as if the two of them were completely alone. Plus, he had only been gone about ten minutes, making Ludwig wonder how in the world he had managed this.

"Feliciano," he said, causing the other to stop and look up at him curiously, "did you drink all of those by yourself?" the German could believe it if maybe Feliciano acted as if he had just finished off ten shots of what was most likely some strong liquor.

"Yes! It's a lot weaker than what we have at my house, but-" he motioned for Ludwig to lean down so he could reach his ear to whisper, "The French can't beat our alcohol." He pulled back with a wink and a mischievous look as he turned to face the other men, leaving Ludwig feeling dazed at the situation.

"This is my boyfriend, Ludwig," the Italian chirped happily, taking hold of one the German's muscular arms and smiling proudly. Instantly a dark blush covered his face and he coughed a little into his free hand and giving the men an awkward smile before nodding his head ingreeting.

"Ah, so this is the legendary German man we have heard so much of," came an airy voice, drawing Ludwig's attention to the most stereotypically French man he had ever seen. He had shoulder length flowy, blonde hair and slight stubble. He sat in a chair nonchalantly near the small crowd, one leg balanced on the opposite knee, looking to well dressed for such a place.

He flashed a smug smile at Ludwig and exaggeratingly to himself, "I, am Francis Bonnefoy." He introduced and stood to shake the other's hand. Unexpectedly he had a firm handshake when Ludwig robotically accepted the hand. Clearing his throat, he looked curiously at the fine slacks and purple vest the other man wore, also noticing he was almost Ludwig's height.

"You have yourself quite a lovely kitten there, mon ami," he sang, rather than said-at least to Ludwig. Said man became embarrassed again and felt his face heat, especially with all the other men staring.

"T-thank you," he murmured quietly, looking at his feet. Francis seemed more amused than anything and sat down with a wolfish look at Feliciano that Ludwig didn't miss. Thank god he hadn't waited longer before getting Feliciano. Though, this whole other situation with all these people and feeling like he was meeting someone important had him through a loop. He wasn't used to most people looking at him, let alone talking and giving him approving pats on the back that seemed less than innocent.

"Hey Luddy, let's sit over there," Feliciano easily led the dazed man to a corner booth that allowed them to see the entirety of the bar. Ludwig sat against the wall and took in the scenery, easily forgetting his earlier conflict. From the outside, it looked like it might have been run-down, but the inside told a different story. The floors were made of old wood, but the panels were even and showed no signs of cracking. Low hanging chandeliers were the only source of light above each table and booth, which were made of some nice looking dark wood. The bar was lit better than the rest of the establishment and had a large selection of mostly wine, served in expensive looking wine glasses. To his right, Ludwig could make out a dance floor in front of the main tables where a few couples swayed to a small band that consisted of a few violins, a guitar, and an accordion. The music was well played and set the atmosphere for the dark room.

A waiter came to the table, wearing a white shirt and a black vest over black slacks, with a glass of wine and what, hopefully, looked to be a large beer. Luckily, he was right, and about to think he ought to be insulted that they assumed since he was German he would drink beer, when he caught Feliciano's eyes. They seemed brighter in the low light and glinted when he saw Ludwig. He watched closely as Feliciano's full lips touched the wine glass, his pink tongue darting out to lick a bit off the rim.

Feliciano gave him a saucy smile and took his hand into his own, leaning over the table as he idly fiddled with Ludwig's long fingers. Every once in a while, when the larger man took a sip of beer of glanced slightly at the other; Feliciano would be caught giving Ludwig a look that sent shivers down his spine.

It may have been the atmosphere and the beer, but it seemed like he was being seduced, and failing to resist it as well. One more simpering look from the other convinced him and suddenly those innocent touches on his hand weren't so innocent.

Suddenly, Feliciano stood and moved to stand next to Ludwig. He gave the man a curious look until Feliciano gave his hand a tug.

"Dance with me?" his voice had a teasing lilt to it and Ludwig sputtered a little.

"W-well I don't know…" he said, looking at his shoes again. It wasn't that he didn't know how to dance; he knew the waltz and ballroom dancing very well for the parties and formal events he had gone to in the military, but it seemed more was being asked of him than that. Again he blamed the atmosphere and took notice of the music. The guitar was being plucked and the accordion played a slow but seductive beat, the violins accentuating the feeling. All in all in was very much making the German man a little hot thinking of being pressed up against Feliciano and moving, but he tried to remember that this was mostly in his hand.

Giving in easily, he let Feliciano lead them to an empty spot away from some of the other couples. Immediately, he felt eyes on them, after all, they were two men, and swallowed as he wrapped his right arm around Feliciano's waist and took his other hand in his left. Feliciano seemed to think they were too far apart and stepped closer, wrapping his free arm around Ludwig's neck as best he could, considering the height difference.

Ludwig slowly led the first step, not even thinking of if Feliciano knew the dance until then. He didn't have to worry though as the Italian easily moved with him, albeit a lot more fluidly and natural than Ludwig who moved stiffly. After a few steps though, he relaxed a little, falling in step with the music and studying Feliciano's face.

His cheeks still retained some color from the alcohol and his hair, though a little astray, shone and fell around his eyes. His eyes, of course, were amazing. The way they filled with laughter when Ludwig spun them slightly as they came too close to the band, and how they were the picture of desire at the moment. Ludwig pulled him closer with his hand at the small of Feliciano's slim back. He watched mesmerized as the other hips swayed slightly to the music, feeling them against his own as they were so close together.

Surprising Feliciano, Ludwig led him out in a slow spin, pulling him back and pressing against him. Feliciano only pressed back more against Ludwig's chest as they swayed, causing his heart beat to hasten. Ludwig let out a hot breath against his before spinning him out again; moving his arm up and over Feliciano's head so he could turn, before swiftly pulling him back, their bodies now flush. They moved in perfect sink now, eyes locked, Ludwig stepping forward just as Feliciano moved back. The German was sure he had never moved so smoothly before during dancing, and the whole dance itself seemed far different. Everything seemed intimate and had an underlying meaning; every touch, every look, and every move. _I want you. _

Feliciano made everything seem different though, even him. He felt like he was a different person, and the Italian's warmth only made him feel it more. The only thing his mind registered now was their two bodies moving and the quiet music. The dim lighting sent shadows over Feliciano's smooth and tan skin, the dips of his collar bone darker than the rest as the light didn't reach them.

They swept along the floor, gazes locked, as the song seemed to be reaching its end. Ludwig gave Feliciano a hungry look, forgetting the presence of other people as the Italian "accidentally" ground their hips together as he moved them. The guitar was plucking its last notes and the violins were trailing off when Ludwig pulled him closer, one arm around his waist and the other across his back and hand supporting his head, when he dipped them. It was a short dip, leaving the large German only slightly bent as he attached their lips. He moved them gently, mouth slightly opened, before he pulled away to look at Feliciano.

He was more than satisfied at the rough breath and how the smaller man's cheeks were on fire as he looked longingly up at him. Ludwig would have been happy to oblige as well, except the sudden clapping that erupted from the other people with them in the bar. Startled, he lifted Feliciano up, letting him lean on his arms as his entire body seemed to have turned to putty.

Francis stood and walked to them, clapping and looking winded.

"_That, _was the best performance I have ever seen," he gushed out, placing a hand on his chest and one on Ludwig's shoulder. "I had no idea how passionate Germans could be," he sighed this time and looked ready to swoon with a hand on his forehead.

"Such movement! As if you two were one being, such envious movement." Ludwig blushed at this, and knowing that the whole things had been watched by a group of strangers had him wishing he was somewhere else. He felt naked almost, holding a very weak-in-the-knees Italian, out on the now empty dance floor. Even the band stared, astonished and far too amazed for just their dancing. Although, Ludwig felt very amazed himself.

Ludwig made to say something, mostly in an attempt to lessen the heavy and confusing atmosphere, when Francis shook his head and waved his hand in the direction of the door, shooing him.

"Non, you must be very _tired_, from such a performance." Ludwig didn't miss the innuendo in the way he said tired, or the wink as he nodded numbly while half carrying Feliciano out the door. For the second time today he felt extremely confused and embarrassed, and was desperately trying to figure out what had just happened when Feliciano stirred at his side. He had been awfully quiet, and the German was afraid that he had embarrassed the other by kissing him in front of so many people. At least, a kiss like that. His heart sank at that thought; he didn't want to make Feliciano uncomfortable.

"Feli?" he tried, using a nickname. Tear filled eyes met his, and Ludwig halted his steps, instantly beginning to panic as his chest tightened. He had obviously been right about the embarrassment thing and leaned down with concern in his wide eyes.

"Feliciano? What's wrong? I-I didn't mean to embarrass you; I just got caught in the moment. Well that's not really an excuse I'm so sorry I-" he was jerked down abruptly to meet eager lips and Feliciano clung to him in desperation. Ludwig was surprised and pulled away before anymore could happen. Feliciano pouted and attempted to reach his lips again, only to be held back at the shoulders.

"What? Why- just all of a sudden? You were crying-" Ludwig groaned and lowered his head, not thinking or speaking clearly. Feliciano let out a small giggle at how cute the German was acting and kissed his hands where they lay on his shoulders. Moving out from under them, he hugged Ludwig and let out another quiet laugh.

"I was crying because I was so happy," he whispered into Ludwig's broad chest. He let his hands move along the broad back, appreciating how muscular it seemed to be.

"Happy?" Ludwig asked, feeling a little better knowing that he hadn't just driven away the most important person in his life. That was the first time he had even thought of how important Feliciano was to him, he couldn't imagine losing him, even so soon after they were together.

"Mmhmm," Feliciano purred, running his hands over Ludwig's chest now. "When I thought, 'Luddy treats me so well and is so romantic' I got all teary, because Luddy is really important to me and I care about him." Feliciano buried his face into Ludwig's shoulder, feeling a little embarrassed.

Ludwig only let out a huge sigh. He felt absolutely relieved that he hadn't done anything wrong, and smiled a little at how cute Feliciano could be when he acted like a child. He even felt a little proud of himself for being romantic completely on accident.

"Are you mad?" he heard the quiet question as Feliciano peeked out from his shoulder.

"Of course not, that…that makes me very happy. You-" he paused to clear his throat and looked away, "You are also very important to me." His face heated up, even his ears burned as he stole a glance at the Italian.

Feliciano smiled happily and squeezed Ludwig, laughing and leaving a trail of kisses up the pale neck before him. Ludwig took that to mean everything was fine, letting himself relax under Feliciano's touches. He hadn't been very touchy before he met the Italian, but he was quickly learning to at least accept the affection, if not give it when he had the courage. Soon he felt a little too good and remembered where they were. He pulled away, lightly squeezing a smaller hand in his own as he took Feliciano to the hotel room.

Just the thought of where they were going had him on edge, in his mind it sounded far too suggestive. Did that make him a pervert? He shook his head and felt Feliciano draw closer to him, it was cold after all. They climbed the stairs quickly and Ludwig found his hands shaky as he attempted to unlock the door. Feliciano watched on quietly, doing his best not to laugh at the cute display of nerves. Gently, he took Ludwig's hand into both of his. With a small twist, the door was unlocked and the German looked more embarrassed than ever as he smiled at Feliciano as a sort of thanks.

The two shuffled into the room, Ludwig shutting the door behind them, not bothering with lights, as Feliciano jumped in the large bed. Ludwig smiled at how relaxed the Italian already looked, wishing he could loosen up that way as well. It seemed he was just naturally a strict person. He was also quite relieved that nothing was going to happen beyond sleep in the bed, he still had no idea what he was going to do about getting too feral with his little lover.

Yawning, he sat on the edge of the bed. In only moments a pair of warm arms slinked around him, causing him to smile and close his eyes, leaning back into the other. Feliciano hummed and snuggled his head into the crook of Ludwig's neck, leaving a small kiss there before running his hands over broad shoulders. Experimentally, he began to lightly knead the muscles, eliciting an appreciative moan from the other as he leaned forward to allow Feliciano more room to work. Feliciano kicked his legs in excitement before kneading a little harder.

Meanwhile, Ludwig was beginning to get very relaxed. He couldn't recall ever getting a massage, but he was sure Feliciano had to have some kind of experience. The hands easily kneaded out the knots and kinks in his stiff back, and he wasn't even embarrassed about letting out pleased sounds to tell how much he appreciated it. After a few more minutes, Feliciano leaned over his shoulder, smiling as always.

"Could you lie down? It'd be easier for me to get all the good spots!" Ludwig nodded and wondered what he meant about 'good spots' before stretching his body out across the bed and laying his head on his folded arms. He was a little started though when quick nimble hands removed his shoes and his shirt was tugged at. It took him a moment but he finally decided massages must be easier bare, so he complied, doing his best to hide his red face. Undressing in front of Feliciano in a hotel room, alone, felt strange. He really was a pervert, and he blamed it on all the romance novels he had read. He hadn't bought them, well, maybe a few, but most had been presents from Gilbert. He always had tried to embarrass him about his love for reading and having a 'sensitive' side.

Ludwig got comfortable again and pushed all thoughts aside as Feliciano moved to sit at the small of his back, legs on either side of him. The weight was comfortable and he instantly melted into the warms hands as they kneaded his back again. It felt even better this time, now he could directly feel Feliciano's smooth, warm hands as they danced across his bare back. After about a few more minutes he yawned and turned, reaching his arms around Feliciano.

The Italian giggled and squirmed, murmuring something in Italian before snuggling in close to the German. He laid his head on his chest and busied himself with drawing shapes on Ludwig's stomach. It tickled slightly, but otherwise was soothing. He pulled the blankets over both of them, making sure to leave Feliciano's head uncovered, and lightly stroked Feliciano's head. He always did marvel at how soft it was, and that one curl…

"Ludwig?" Feliciano suddenly asked, breaking off his thoughts.

"Yes?" he answered, rubbing a gentle hand on his back. He didn't usually call him by anything other than his nickname unless he had something important to say.

"Do you think we'll find fratello soon?" he spoke quieter this time, obviously trying to keep himself under control.

"I do," he answered quickly; he hated it when Feliciano cried. "We'll find him real soon, so don't worry. Now go to sleep, it's late," with that he kissed the top of Feliciano's head, glad they had left the lights off when they came in so he didn't have to spoil this moment.

Ludwig smiled when he felt the other's breathing even out. After a moment's hesitation, he took one of the smaller hands into his own. With one hand he held it up and placed it against his own, larger one. His fingers were about an inch longer and thicker than Feliciano's, though they weren't much bigger. Something about the way Feliciano acted always made him seem smaller, and Ludwig found the need to remind himself of Feliciano's age. Sighing, he tangled their fingers together and placed a kiss on each knuckle, wondering what he would think of that if he were awake. It was easier though, when Feliciano was asleep, to give him affection. He didn't get embarrassed. Taking one final look at the serene face of his lover, Ludwig closed his eyes and almost immediately fell into a relaxed sleep.

I hope you guys enjoyed! Please review!


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